APPLICATION FORM

YSP-Travel Fellowships for 13th FAOBMB Congress, Bangkok, 23-29 November, 2012.
Name of Applicant: Mr. Kouki Matsuda Position: Ph.D. Student

Address of Applicant: (Normally this will be your institutional or office address) Division of Hematopoiesis, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan Tel: +81-96-373-6522 Fax: +81-96-373-6523 Email address: 123r5160@st.kumamoto-u.ac.jp Membership of FAOBMB Constituent Society: (Indicate the Constituent Society of FAOBMB in your country/region of residence which you are a member). Please see Societies Profile under About FAOBMB: Constituent Member on the webpage at: http://faobmb.net Japan Date of Birth: 9 July, 1987 Applicants must be no more than 35 years of age at the closing date for application: (31 July, 2012). Proof of Age: (Certification by the Head of your Institution or Department is required) I certify on the basis of official documentation which I have seen (e.g. passport, birth certificate or drivers licence) that the date of birth of the applicant Mr. Kouki Matsuda is 09/July/1987, as shown above. (DD/Month/Year) Signed:

Seiji Okada, MD, Ph.D Position: Professor, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University Page 1 of 9

Have you previously received an FAOBMB Travel Fellowship? If yes, please indicate when. No, I havent.

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Curriculum Vitae Provide a brief CV showing education and research training, including any prizes or awards: (no more than one page) Work experience April 2012-Present GCOE junior research associate, Kumamoto University April 2010-March 2012 Teaching assistant, Kumamoto University April 2009-March 2010 Teaching assistant, Okayama University of Science

Education April 2012-Present Doctoral degree in Graduate school of medical sciences Kumamoto University April 2010-March 2012 Masters degree in Graduate school of medical sciences Kumamoto University April 2006-March 2010 Bachelors degree in Department of Science, Life Science Okayama University of Science Qualification
Public Health Laboratory Technologist (Japan) Food sanitation supervisor (Japan)

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List of Publications in International Journals* * Number all publications in international journals or book chapters, with earliest first and most recent at the end. Provide the Impact Factor (IF) of the journal and indicate your contribution the work described and the publication. Use as many pages as required. Follow the style in these examples: None.

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Abstract Indicate below the abstract that is submitted by you for presentation at the YSP and the FAOBMB Congress in Bangkok (include all authors, affiliation(s) and the text of the abstract) INFLUENCE OF HIV-1 INFECTIVITY BY DIFFERENCE OF CELL MEMBRANE FLUIDITY Matsuda K1, Hattori S1, Kariya R1, Goto H1, Srikoon P1 and Okada S1 1 Division of Hematopoiesis, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan Email address: 123r5160@st.kumamoto-u.ac.jp Background Membrane fusion between cells and HIV-1 is an essential step for infection. As membrane fluidity is known to affect HIV-1 infection. Cepharanthine (CEP), a biscolaurine alkaloid isolated from Stephania cepharantha Hayata, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and imunomodulatory effects. CEP is widely used for the treatment of patients with various inflammatory diseases in Japan without any serious side effects. In this study, we evaluated the effects of CEP on HIV-1 entry process, since CEP also has membrane-stabilizing effects. Methods and Results We analyzed the HIV-1 infection inhibiting effects on PHA-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by intracellular p24 staining using flow cytometry. Additionally, we measured p24 antigen in cell culture supernatant. HIV-1 infection in PHA-stimulated PBMC was 80 % inhibited by CEP-pretreatment. Next, we cocultured both inducible Env from X4 HIV-1 expressing T cell lines (JurkatHXBC2 and Jurkat522F/Y) and MOLT-4 T cell line as target cells and evaluated the cell-to-cell fusion inhibiting effects by using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. CEP also blocked the cell-to-cell fusion in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we evaluated the differences of the cell membrane fluidity by using fluorescence depolarization assay. CEP decreased cell-membrane fluidity. Conclusion CEP inhibited HIV-1 entry process by decrease cell membrane fluidity. Cell membrane is an important target of viral infection defense.

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Personal Statement Indicate briefly here your Research Interests and Career Goals, why you are interested to participate in the YSP Program (including what you will bring to the YSP and what you hope to gain from it): (no more than one page) I am in the first year of doctoral course and studying at the Division of Hematopoiesis, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University. I worked on a study for the development of the new anti-HIV-1 drugs when I was in the master course. I would like to be directly involved in the further development of the HIV study as a post-doctoral fellow after graduation. It would be a great honor for me to have an opportunity to give a presentation on my research in FAOBMB congress by supporting YSP scholarship. In addition, I would like to get opinions and advices from many researchers by participating in the congress. Moreover, I would like to deepen my further understanding about the study of different fields according to the interchange with other researchers.

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Attachments: Letters of recommendation from two referees.

Submission methods: You can apply in either of two ways: by sending an email with scanned attachments to the Chair of the FAOBMB Fellowship Committee, Prof. Piamsook Pongsawasdi: piamsook.p@chula.ac.th or piamsook.p@gmail.com This is the preferred method. If using this method, please assemble the Application Form and the Attachments into a single PDF file. by sending a hard copy of the application form and supporting documents to: Professor Piamsook Pongsawasdi, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.

Closing Date: Applications must be received by 31 July, 2012 (Bangkok time, GMT + 7 Hours). Applicants will be notified by email of the decision of the Committee by no later than 15 September, 2012.

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August 10, 2012 To whom it may concern In the YSP-Travel Fellowships for 13th FAOBMB Congress, it is my pleasure to write a recommendation letter for the application of Mr. Kouki Matsuda. Mr. Kouki Matsuda is a 1st-year student of doctoral course in the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University and conducting the research on AIDS in the Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University. He is a hard-working, highly responsible person, knowledgeable and has good skills in laboratory research. His research was selected in the oral and poster presentation in several conferences in Japan and overseas last year. I am sure that he will be competent scientist in his future. I therefore recommend him strongly to be the candidate of YSP-Travel Fellowships. Sincerely yours,

Seiji OKADA, MD, Ph.D Professor Div. Of Hematopoiesis, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University 2-2-1 Honjo, chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan TEL; +81-96-373-6522 FAX; +81-96-373-6523 E-mail; okadas@kumamoto-u.ac.jp

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August 10, 2012 To whom it may concern In the YSP-Travel Fellowships for 13th FAOBMB Congress, it is my pleasure to write a recommendation letter for the application of Mr. Kouki Matsuda. I have instructed Mr. Kouki Matsuda since he was in the master course in Kumamoto University. In addition, I judged his masters thesis. I am accordingly well acquainted with his ability, character and qualifications. He hopes to select in the YSP-Travel Fellowships for 13th FAOBMB Congress. I am confident that he is qualified to successfully complete his studies at the congress. I believe he will be able to be adopted. I wholeheartedly recommend him for YSP-Travel Fellowships Sincerely yours,

Shinya SUZU, Ph.D Associate Professor Division IV, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University 2-2-1 Honjo, chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan TEL; +81-96-373-6824 FAX; +81-96-373-6825 E-mail; ssuzu06@kumamoto-u.ac.jp

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